Time Management

How to Make Time Work for You

You’ve heard the complaints: So much to do, so little time. But believe it or not, time is on your side. All it takes is a little discipline. We took the time to write it down, hoping you’d take the time to read it. And yes, you’ll find it’s time well spent.

Plan your time.

• Write a weekly schedule that includes your key priorities (be sure to include personal, work, family, emotional, spiritual and physical goals) and stick to it.
• Evaluate progress daily and adjust your schedules accordingly.
• Remain in control of your schedule.
• Say no to nonessential tasks.

Set priorities daily.

• Spend the first 15 minutes of each day writing a to-do list putting the most important tasks at the top.
• Avoid interruptions while doing this task

Think small.

• Start your day with a small challenge that you can quickly cross off your to-do list and build momentum.
• Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.

Cluster activities.

• Plan your day so that you cluster similar sorts of activities at the same time. (e.g., returning phone calls and e-mails, administrative tasks, proposals, research, etc.)
• Break up brain-draining activities with task-oriented projects.

Anticipate interruptions.

• Plan appropriate responses to events, actions or people that could derail your momentum. (e.g., "It'll take me about 30 minutes to finish this up, and then I'll stop by—or we can schedule another time.")

Remove distractions.

• Structure your environment for productivity with pictures that inspire you; music that motivates you, etc.
• Block out time on your calendar for big projects where you close your door and turn off your phone, pager and e-mail.
• Deal with each piece of paper or e-mail one time rather than shifting them from pile to pile.
• Speaking of piles, get rid of them. All they do is distract.

Say "No" to homework.

• Commit to not to taking work home for the evening or over the weekend unless absolutely necessary.
• Be efficient during the workweek so that you can reserve your personal time for refueling and personal fulfillment.

Delegate.

• If you're overloaded, take a look at your list and hand off tasks that can be accomplished by others.
• Ask for suggestions on how to accomplish your assignments more efficiently.

Take the long view.

• Check in frequently on timelines and deadlines when priorities are conflicting.
• Identify when you're artificially accelerating a deadline for no good reason.